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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

"Thunder and Lightning" by Chicago

Pop Bits: This was pretty much the last gasp of the old Chicago. Throughout the 70s, the group had twelve Top 10 hits that spanned genres like prog-rock, soft rock, and even jazz. The emphasis was on great songs and arrangements, most featuring their famous horn section. But their sound started to seem outdated as the 80s approached and by the time their 1980 album "Chicago XIV" came out, they were at the lowest point of their career. This first single failed to even crack the Top 40 and a follow-up single didn't even chart. The album failed to sell as well and was their first not to reach at least gold status. As a result, Columbia records deemed them no longer commercial and dropped the group. It seemed like the end was near, but a new era for the group would begin soon enough with their best selling album yet to come.

ReduxReview: I have to say, for old Chicago, this is a good effort. While not as catchy or memorable as some of their major hits, it has that Chicago sound and feel. But it does sound stuck in the 70s. The song doesn't take Chicago into the new era at all, therefore it ends up sounding a bit stale.

ReduxRating: 5/10

Trivia: Chicago's album titles were typically numbered with Roman numerals, such as "Chicago V." They broke that streak with their twelfth album by titling it "Hot Streets." It ended up being their first album to miss the Top 10 since their debut. They returned using Arabic numbers with "Chicago 13" and continued the numbering pattern for most of their future albums, either with Roman or Arabic numbers.